The Dutch team
I started my career as a social worker. Fourteen years ago, I started my company The Idea. The Idea is focused on consulting, development and implementation of activities and projects in the social domain. Particularly in the areas of participation, practice learning, education and reintegration into the labour market, a large number of projects came into being. Projects realized by bringing together governments, educators, employers (organizations) and civil society organizations. This allows me to be in contact with many different parties when it comes to the alignment between VET providers, companies and organizations. From these contacts I experience the distance and misunderstanding between VET providers and employers/workplaces. Sometimes I see joint projects where the intention to collaboration is present but is limited to the division of tasks. The step towards real collaboration and joint responsibility still needs to be taken. The conclusions and recommendations from VET@work were made from the incentive cooperation between different actors. Why do you want to work together? How do you want to work together? And what do you have to offer the other company or organisation? Questions when it comes to real collaboration. The results of VET@work provide insight into how to achieve this real collaboration. How to build the bridge to overcome the gap between schools and business.
At Stichting Welzijn Lelystad, I train students with special needs who enter VET of the ROC Flevoland in Lelystad. As a Jobcoach at Werkconnectie, I guide people distanced from the labour market back to work. As an independent Client Support Officer, I stand next to the client to formulate their request for help to indication counters and care providers. In addition, I am a volunteer board member for the Office for Equal Treatment Flevoland and for the Foundation Multifunctional Centres Harderwijk.
Because of my social functions I have also been invited to the European partner projects by project partner Het Idee. An inspiring and constructive collaboration and exchange of knowledge that encourages you to think and act in your frameworks.
Good pedagogical cooperation between VET providers and employers is important for the development of the students. Good cooperation between schools and employers ensures that a safe learning environment is created in which a pupil can develop better.
Participation in VET@work has different sides to the cooperation, giving me a different view of the situation. For example, I have experienced the problems teachers face in cooperation and now I understand this better. In practice, this translates for me to more and better communication and cooperation with the school. We now do much more together to trace and solve problems. This creates better opportunities for the students to successfully go through the practical training.
Myriam Purperhart
Het Idee
I live and work in Lelystad at a Welfare organization for almost twenty years, called Welzijn Lelystad. Welzijn Lelystad connects people. We get people that could use a helping hand in contact with the people that are willing to reach out. Our goal is to strengthen the involvement among citizens, to create a resilient society in which everyone can participate. Our target group is very diverse and consists of refugees, young caregivers, lonely elderly and young people.
From my duty as an HR manager/employer, I am responsible for the internships and work base learning projects. In particular, the group of young people who are struggling to find employment are welcome at our organisation. Welzijn Lelystad treats it as it’s duty to spread the message that this group deserves a chance. We hope that we can offer them a stepping stone towards a good career, because this ‘forgotten’ group has great talents.
This is the first international project in which I take part. I find it interesting to see how employers and schools from other countries deal with this subject. I am learning great things from the people from the project and I always take it back home to my own network and organisation. We have done a lot of pilots based on ideas from the meetings. Together, we can achieve more than we will alone. When I am not working for Welzijn Lelystad I advise other companies mainly in the restaurant business , I play tennis, read, travel, shop and like to cook.
